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domenica 25 maggio 2014

Food exports can be worth 70 bn euros, Cibus says

Italian food products presented at international trade fair

(ANSA)
- Parma, May 23 - Increasing demand abroad for Italian food products
could drive exports to reach 70 billion euros in 10 years from the 26
billion totalled in 2013, according to a study presented earlier this
month at Italy's leading international food trade fair Cibus. The
17th edition of Cibus, held in the northern city of Parma on May 5-8
and organized by Fiere di Parma, saw 67,000 commercial operators,
including a reported 10,000 foreign buyers from 115 countries, attend
the event to test hundreds of new products presented by 2,700 Italian
food companies.

Many
new products which debuted at the fair were aimed at the rising
number of health-conscious consumers and included organic,
gluten-free products and foods low in fat and sodium, Cibus
organizers said. Italy is a world leader in the fast-growing
organic-food market as well as in gluten-free products for those
diagnosed with celiac disease. Also a hit were foods tailored for
home cooking.

The
fair devoted to sector professionals showcases offerings from all
parts of the food chain, from wholesalers to grocers, from
restaurants to catering businesses. It also debuts products for niche
markets, like Kosher and Halal foods for Jewish and Muslim consumers
at home and abroad, as Italy's food producers are not only embracing
deep-rooted culinary traditions but are also adapting local cuisine
to the demands of a multicultural global society . Indeed in the
first 11 months of last year, food exports to Algeria grew as much as
67% while exports to Libya registered a 42.6% increase.

Food
exports to the United Arab Emirates also rose 27.7%, followed by
Turkey at 20.7% and Saudi Arabia at 16.9%. Overall, while internal
demand shrank 4% in 2013, Italian food exports grew a record 5.8% on
2012 to reach 26.2 billion euros out of a total turnover of 132
billion euros of the Italian food industry. taly's top foreign
markets are in the EU, up 5% year-on-year, and estimated to be worth
22.5 billion euros, according to data from national statistics agency
Istat, elaborated by the Coldiretti farmers' association.

Exports
to the United States also went up 6% and were worth 2.9 billion while
those to Asian markets rose 8% to 2.8 billion and exports to African
markets registered a 12% increase to 1.1 billion. record 2,700
exhibitors signed up for this year's edition of Cibus, with 400 more
firms participating from last year, after the event underwent
significant revamping also in view of Expo 2015, the World's Fair to
be held May 1-October 31 in Milan next year.

The
Expo's theme, Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life, centres on
fighting famine and malnutrition worldwide through sustainable and
healthy development, global cooperation and new technology. talian
businesses are pinning their hopes on spin-off economic benefits from
Expo. he Fiere di Parma pavilion at the World's Fair will host a
reported 500 firms and 200 events.